In this digital age, you need to be on the lookout for hackers and phishing scammers trying to access your online financial accounts and personal information, including your retirement plan accounts. But there are steps you can take to safeguard your accounts and information. We’ve compiled some tips on how you can protect yourself from cyber theft and move securely toward a financially sound future with peace of mind:

1. Regularly check your retirement accounts.
   Part of safeguarding your retirement savings is as simple as checking any accounts you may have. For example, access your retirement savings account periodically to verify that the amount in your account and your personal information—including your name, email and street address—are correct.
    
2. Use multifactor authentication.
   As part of Mutual of America’s ongoing commitment to protecting our customers’ accounts and personal information, we have further strengthened the log-in procedures required for access to the My Account section of mutualofamerica.com. Individuals with accounts need to establish multifactor authentication when logging in to My Account. This process only takes a few minutes, and it includes establishing a username and password (if you haven’t already) with at least one of four security factors, which you can choose to receive via the Okta Verify mobile app, text message or email, or by following voice call instructions. Multifactor authentication helps ensure that only you are accessing your online account information. This is one of the ways we ensure that we are adhering to today’s cybersecurity best practices.
    
3. Be savvy with your passwords and internet connection.
   Make your passwords as strong as possible, don’t use the same passwords across multiple sites, and keep them confidential. Do not share your passwords with anyone. You should also try to avoid public Wi-Fi, as hackers can more easily intercept the passwords you type in—along with any other personal information you enter—when you’re connected to an unsecured internet connection.
    
4. Be aware of who you’re speaking to.
   You should not respond to any form of communication from, or provide any personal information to, unverified parties. Be wary of recipients requesting any money or personal information; for example, individuals claiming to be from the IRS have called stimulus check recipients requesting money or personal information, leading (in some cases) to tax-related fraud and identity theft. Your retirement account savings are also vulnerable to these sorts of attacks. A good way to prevent theft is to avoid responding to unsolicited or untrustworthy communications. If you have questions related to protecting your retirement account, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Mutual of America representative.